Thus says the Lord:Stand at the crossroads, and look,and ask for the ancient paths,where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.Jeremiah 9:16

Welcome!

You are visiting the website of the Church of England Benefice of Chollerton, north of Hadrian's Wallin Northumberland.The Benefice includes churches at Chollerton, Birtley, Gunnerton and Thockrington and communities without churches such as Colwell, Redesmouth, Buteland and Little Bavington.The parishes sit to the east of the River North Tyne and rise from around 200 feet to 1000 feet above sea level. Farming, quarrying and small businesses dominate the area. Larger towns like Hexham are not far away and Newcastle-upon-Tyne is our nearest city and the capital of the North East. Some come to fish and shoot. Others like to walk and cycle in the area. It is a beautiful place to live and to visit.

Click on the links above to find out a little more about each of our four lovely churches, including contact details for the Vicar, when and where we meet for worship on Sundays and at other times, and a selection of local community events. Look right to see events and services coming up soon.

In a world of many uncertainties one thing is for sure:you will receive a warm Northumberland welcome at a﻿ll of our church﻿es and services. We look forward to meeting you.

During our interregnum please contact the Rural Dean about services for special occasions such as baptisms (Christenings), weddings or funerals. The vicar has retired and the parish begins an interregnum.

We have many enquiries regarding family history. Our church records cover only very recent times and nothing beyond the early 1930s. Anything before that date (and much more recent dates for wedding and burial records) will need to be directed to the Northumberland Archives in Woodhorn. Copy and paste the following address into your search engine.

http://www.experiencewoodhorn.com/collections/

Jill and Paul's wedding at Chollerton St Giles

Diary of services

During our interregnum we are relying on retired and other clergy to take our services. Sometimes services may be cancelled at short notice. However the following list of services is what we hope to provide each month. We look forward to meeting you.

First Sunday of the month9.00am Holy Communion at Gunnerton then 10.30am Holy Communion at Birtley.

​Second Sunday of the month9.00am Holy Communion at Thockrington then 10.30am Holy Communion at Chollerton

Third Sunday of the month9.00am Holy Communion at Gunnerton then 10.30am Holy Communion at Birtley.

Fourth Sunday of the month9.00am Holy Communion at Thockrington then 10.30am Holy Communion at Chollerton

Fifth Sunday of the monthA service at 10.30am will be held at one of the four churches in the Benefice, see local notice boards​Please dress warmly during winter when attending our churches, especially at Thockrington and Birtley. Appropriate footwear for crossing slippery rough pasture is usually needed at Thockrington. Please close all gates.​It is wise to bring a torch with you to services held during the hours of darkness. We do not have many street lights near our churches.